Other polygamy essay marriages were done in Canada, on ships on the Pacific Ocean, and in Utah as well as other neighboring states He was less about Islam and more about self-promotion and the glorification of Iraq. In addition, polygamy proponents argue that legal recognition of polygamy will allow fix the negative attributes attached to it. Women's Status in Midth Century. The resulting competition for women leads to unbalanced distribution of mating partners. Bibliography IvyPanda. In Nigeria and Philippines where Christianity has been adapted to local beliefs and traditions, polygamy essay, polygamy is increasingly being accepted by Christians, polygamy essay.
The Wife of Bath
Polygamy Should the state of Missouri legalize polygamy? Comprising counties, Missouri is a U. state located in mid-west of the country. The debate of whether or not legalize polygamy i. one man marrying many women is ethically evaluated here using ethical method and theories. Five-point analysis method for resolving ethical dilemmas Ethical questions are deep rooted in the emotions of individuals as well as the society. It is not easy to present and get accepted a solution to ethical dilemma. The five point analysis method for resolving ethical dilemmas has following steps: Develop a list of premises: This step is of finding options. Listing the solution alternatives. The method will evaluate if polygamy should be legalized, illegalized, banned with heavy punishment, or allowed under specific conditions where the wife has medical issues that require the husband to marry someone else.
Step 2. Eliminate irrelevant or weak premises: After analyzing…, polygamy essay. References Bramhan, D. html Ethics and Virtue, n. Polygamy essay, or the practice of having more than one spouse at a time, is a very controversial issue that provides many ethical, moral and practical questions that surround the idea and its implementation into society. The purpose of this essay is to describe the practice of polygamy and why this practice is unwise to participate in due to the many risks toward mental, physical and spiritual health. This essay will first examine the issues surrounding polygamy and how it has arrived in our society.
The pros and cons of this practice will also be examined to demonstrate how polygamy is ultimately destroying our culture and freedom. The effects polygamy has polygamy essay financial matters, legal issues, health and disease issues and biblical issues will all be addressed in this essay to highlight the true purpose of this disturbing and unwelcomed practice, polygamy essay. Polygamy Basics Polygamy, simply understood polygamy essay to be married to…. References Barber, N. The wide world of polygamy: We hate it, others love it.
Psychology Today, 19 Feb One Man, Many Wives, Big Problems. Reason, polygamy essay, 3 April The Dangers of Legalizing Polygamy, polygamy essay. Ricochet, 25 June Polygamy In recent years the issue of Polygamy has received a great deal of attention. The purpose of this discussion is to examine polygamy essay practice of polygamy. The research will uncover that although polygamy has some disadvantages including family division, there are also some very real advantages associated with the practice and a balanced view of the practice is often lacking in the western world.
Polygamy is defined as "marriage in which a spouse of either sex polygamy essay have more than one mate at the same time polygamy. In fact Al-Krenawi reports that In cultures covering more than societies across the globe, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North America and Oceania, such expanded family structures are known to occur Hartung, ; Valsiner, polygamy essay, In some practicing societies, rates of polygamy may include up…. Works Cited About the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints., polygamy essay. htm Al-Krenawi, A. International journal of social psychiatry. Al-Krenawi, A. Learning achievements, polygamy essay, social adjustment and family conflicts among Bedouin-Arab children from polygamous and monogamous families.
Journal of Social Psychology, He took physical care of them but he no longer had sex with any of them. It is believed that his first wife had died and only athsheba was left and they bore another son named Solomon. It is obvious throughout the text that David polygamy essay that his various marriages and sexual relationships with women were detestable in the eyes of God. The punishment for polygamy exacted by God can also be seen in the life of Solomon. Solomon's heart was led astray because not polygamy essay did he have multiple wives, but he took wives who worshipped other gods after he and the Israelites in general had be warned against intermarriage.
They were from nations about which the…. Bibliography Armstrong, polygamy essay, Herbert W. pdf The Bible, polygamy essay. Polygamy essay King James Version Thompson, John L. Writing the Wrongs: Women of the Old Testament among Biblical Commentators from Philo through the Reformation. New York: Oxford University Press, A polygamy. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Polygamy began as a practice in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints LDSwhich was commonly known as the Mormon Church, between s and 40s, polygamy essay. The main reason why polygamy was common during the period was as a result of religion to multiply and replenish the earth.
Inplural marriages were polygamy essay by LDS, although the practice continued to exist in small subgroups. Polygamy is a relationship existing between either one husband and multiple wives or a woman and multiple husbands. In social anthropology, polygamy is defined as the practice of marriage polygamy essay more than one spouse, polygamy essay. Historically, polygamy was practiced as polygyny; one man or as polyandry; one woman having multiple husband. Studies showed that polygamy is one of the most contentious issues bearing on women and women's rights Lyimo, polygamy essay, Traditionally, polygamy was morally objectionable for various reasons, such as it fosters oppression of women.
References Bailey, M. Polygamy in the monogamous world multicultural challenges for Western law and policy. London: Praeger. Bledsoe, C. Nuptiality in Sub-Saharan Africa: contemporary anthropological and demographic perspectives, polygamy essay. London: Clarendon Press;, polygamy essay. Fenske, J. African Polygamy: Past And Present. Bedru Hussein is Rector of Meserete Kristos College, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia Mission Focus: Annual Review © Volume 10 Polygamy: An Ethical Case Study. The Polygamy Issue As Co Nfronted By Meserete Kristos Church, polygamy essay.
Polygamy On the surface, and with the most shallow of polygamy essay, polygamy would seem to be protected by the First Amendment freedom of religion clause because polygamy in the United States is mainly a phenomenon among specific religious groups -- namely Mormons, fundamentalist Christians, and Muslims Turley. In polygamy essay, even a polygamous marriage that was not rooted in religious tradition could be protected under the Due Process clause, which basically encompasses right to privacy Hamilton, polygamy essay. Indeed, the state of Utah's Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States have heard numerous cases related to the constitutionality of polygamy. According to Turley, "Utah and eight other states make polygamy a crime, while 49 states have bigamy statutes that can be used to prosecute plural families.
The stigma against polygamy remains strong, and has been…. References Altman, Irwin and Ginat, Joseph. Polygamous Families in Contemporary Society. Cambridge: Polygamy essay University Press, polygamy essay, Carter, Joe. html Hamilton, Marci A. July 29, Opposition Argument: On the other hand, from the legal perspective, the argument that constitutional principles justify reconsidering the issue that polygamy unlike human sacrifice warrants First Amendment protections of the free exercise of religion. For one thing, the modern Supreme Court has recognized a right of privacy that emanates from the enumerated rights and privileges ever since the s, that could play a role in a modern reanalysis of polygamy at law.
Second, while the Equal Protection Clause was available prior to the 19th century decisions about polygamy, equal protection as a legal concept had not yet developed and only became potentially useful to support polygamy in the 20th century. From a legal perspective, polygamy essay, it may be more difficult to uphold anti-polygamy laws today, precisely because, unlike human sacrifice or the unauthorized consumption of controlled narcoticsthe actual act of maintaining multiple sexual relationships is not legally prohibited. Unmarried individuals…. References Witte, J. Much has changed since the late s, and many arguments for keeping the ban aren't very compelling" Christianity Today. What this practice really meant, though, was that the same amount of income was now expected to support two Nnaife, both of his wives, and all of their children, and especially when the household wasn't operating as a single unit, this caused a polygamy essay deal of hardship, tension, and imbalance.
In addition, it caused emotional and psychological grief for Nnu Ego, who had to listen to Nnaife consummating his new marriage polygamy essay feet from where she lay trying to fall asleep. Truly nothing was hers after this marriage -- not even the love of her husband. The Women of Nigeria This is not actually the first time that Nnu Ego experiences the hardships of polygamy polygamy essay the novel, polygamy essay. She had previously been married to another man, and after a short time of her failing to become pregnant by him he took a new wife, and Nnu Ego had to work…. References Emecheta, B.
The Joys of Motherhood. New York: George Braziller. Mashour, a. Islamic Law and Gender Equality: Could There be a Common Ground? Human Rights Quarterly 27 2 :
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According to New York Times, , not only are most women in arranged marriages forced into something they might not be up to, they can be thrown into a life of violence and torture. The timing was perfect for women to assert themselves into society and have some sort of dominance. Females around the world started to feel like they needed to tell men to step aside from their role as the rulers of society, and instead accept that women can rule just as good as any man. But Robinson could also be implying that the urge to rule over the opposite gender is a scenario that only men want and, women should desire something else.
She concludes that even if women manage to gain dominance over men they would not be able to hold. If we limit marriage to two partners, it will take away the chance for certain women to one day be married, and will keep those already exercising polygamy in the United States in the dark. Marriage is about love and it is our human right to enjoy it freely. Additionally, the United States is historically a nation of immigrants, and some of them came from a country where polygamy is legal. Ripping apart those. A polygamy relationship overall benefit couples and people that lack of confidence and are insecure.
If any group of consenting people wishes to combine trust rights and responsibilities there is no just reason to not permit them. Polygamy does not harm society. Freedom was derived from our founding founders and people should not base personal opinion on other people's happiness. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions and being married to more than one person is a decision that adults should be able to make. The government only needs to be involved in what affects the rest of the public. Thus, the only thing that it is acceptable for the government to regulate is how one's marriage should relate to the objective parts of society such as taxes. The government does not have the right to decide who should and should not be allowed to get married.
The United States prides itself on separating issues of the church from state related issues, and it must do the same with this one. Though some religious groups may have problems with allowing homosexuals to marry, America as a whole must not be so restrictive. Many critics of the ordeal pose the argument that the allowance of same-sex unions would single-handedly demolish the already fragile structure of marriage Head. They go on to further to say that same-sex marriages would cause men to become barbaric, as women are the only ones who are able to tame them Nock But, homosexuals have not been given the opportunity in America to prove the critics of their desires wrong.
It is not fair that heterosexuals are allowed to marry and divorce as they please while homosexuals are not even given the opportunity to take part in marriage. Homosexuals are just like every average American. Arranged marriage is the idea that marriages should be arranged by the parents or other family members. This is acceptable in some parts of the world but for some it is completely out of the question. If choosing our life long partners are our most basic rights as an individual then why are arranged marriages still enforced among other nations? The idea of enforcing an arranged marriage causes problems with feminists.
This section cl ces where polygamy might be justified, it introduces limitations and conditions to restrict and restrain polygamy. While, nusyuz can be defined in simple form as fear disloyalty and ill conduct and every wife who is nusyuz cannot claimed for maintenance from his husband as when they nusyuz the courts will prohibit them from get maintenance from their husband. Although maintenance is clearly is come from the husband but if the wife is nusyuz she is not entitled to claim for maintenance as provided in Islamic Family Law Federal Territories Act in Section 59 2 and also in Kelantan Enactment in Section 48 2. Home Page Polygamy. Polygamy Satisfactory Essays. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Over 80, natives of the United States practice polygamy, although it is prohibited.
Polygamy is the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. Polygamy ranges from one man having numerous wives, to one woman having several husbands. It is more likely for a man to have multiple wives, than for a woman to have multiple husbands. There should not be a limit on how many people someone can marry. The law that makes polygamy illegal goes against the first amendment. In the first amendment citizens are able to make their own decisions, they are able to speak freely, but people cannot marry as many people as they please. Polygamy is one of the oldest cultural practices that are likely to persist throughout the 21 st century. Despite being criminalized in the western world, as well as, some African and Asian countries, men continue to embrace plural marriages.
Those who oppose polygamy believe that it is an outdated cultural practice that leads to social deprivation and antagonism in the family. However, those who support polygamy perceive it as a solution to social and cultural issues such as prostitution and adultery. This paper will discuss the arguments for and against polygamy. The discussion will consider cultural, economic, evolutionary, social, and legal perspectives on polygamy. The evolutionary perspective indicates that polygyny has always been part of the human history.
The Bible and the Quran indicate that famous religious leaders such as Abraham, King Solomon, King David, and Prophet Muhammad were polygynous Milton Some psychologists and evolution scientists argue that polygamy is innate among men Milton Thus, men get involved in plural marriages as a response to their natural desires rather than to commit a crime. Empirical studies indicate that polygyny has a positive correlation with the extent to which the males of various animal species are larger or taller than their female counterparts Milton Specifically, polygyny is high among animal species whose males are significantly larger than their female counterparts and vice versa. This means that human beings are naturally polygamous albeit at a low level. As a result, men have to compete for women in order to satisfy their reproductive needs.
In this regard, the following arguments have been used to oppose polygamy. First, tall or big men have greater mating opportunities than short men. This argument is based on the premise that big men can provide better physical protection to women than short men Milton The resulting competition for women leads to unbalanced distribution of mating partners. Big men have several wives, whereas short men remain without mating partners. Second, the competition for women leads to criminal activities Zeitzen Short men who face difficulties in finding wives have to use all connections and alliances to get married.
This leads to early booking of women and underage marriages. For example, young men from the Maasai community in Kenya have to book their wives as early as the age of 10 years due to competition for women. As a result, women are dominated and have no freedom to choose their husbands. Third opponents of polygamy argue that human beings are capable of controlling their natural desires. For instance, history has shown that there are thousands of men all over the world who are able to remain faithful to their wives. Thus, polygamy should not be allowed. Based on the evolutionary perspective, decriminalization of polygamy is supported by the following arguments.
To begin with, the argument that men are capable of controlling their mating desires is unfounded. The history of western countries reveals that monogamy leads to increased cases of fornication, adultery, and divorce among married people Bennion These problems can be avoided if polygamy is decriminalized to enable consenting men and women to have as many spouses as they wish. The argument that only tall or big men can find wives is not practical. Indeed, there are thousands of women who are married to short men. For example, several men among the Pygmy communities in Congo have married women from other tribes in the country who are twice their height.
In addition, most women in Nigeria marry short men as long as they are wealthy. Ultimately, the decision on who to marry is determined by love rather than the size of a prospective marriage partner Bennion This means that polygamy does not create dangerous competition for women. National census in most African and Arab countries shows that the number of women exceeds that of men. Thus, polygamy helps in reducing the number of women who are not able to find husbands. Although polygamy can result into competition for women in societies such as China where the number of men exceeds that of women, it is not likely to lead to criminal activities. In the 21 st century, most countries are ruled by laws that apply to all citizens Milton Thus, any criminal activity that might arise as men try to find women can always be prevented through the legal system.
The most important cultural and religious arguments against polygamy include the following. First, most European countries and the US believe that polygamy is a backward culture that should not be practiced in the modern society Bennion Most western cultures associate polygamy with oppression of women. Specifically, polygyny is considered to be undesirable because it denies women exclusive access to their husbands. Second, polygamy contravenes the principles of the culture of capitalism that dominates the US and European countries. Capitalism is informed by the principles of the Protestant ethic that promote frugality and efficiency both at the individual and business level.
Thus, polygamy is undesirable in the western culture because of its financial implications. Third, Christians believe that polygamy is prohibited by the Bible. This belief is based on the fact that the New Testament urges Christians to be married to one partner Zeitzen Thus, having more than one spouse at the same time is a sin that is punishable. As a result, Christians all over the world strive to remain faithful to their wives or husbands. Their argument is based on the fact that the Quran states that whoever marries more than one wife must treat all his wives equally Zeitzen Specifically, a polygynous man must not favor any of his wives at the expense of the others.
Undoubtedly, this condition is not achievable since human beings are inherently biased. Men will always have preferences rather than being neutral when faced with a choice of more than one woman. The argument that polygamy is a backward cultural practice lacks substance. Polygamy has always been part of most African and Asian Cultures that are held in high esteem. For instance, in Nigeria and Kenya having more than one wife is a symbol of social status. Undoubtedly, only wealthy men can afford to maintain several women and their children.
In South Africa, the current president has three wives. Similarly, most Chinese leaders in the 19 th century had several wives. Thus, the perspective that polygamy is a backward culture is an ethnocentric perspective that the western world has to overcome as a sign of respect to other cultures. The Christians who believe that polygamy is a sin forget that the Old Testament had several examples of people who were polygamous. Although biblical leaders such as Abraham and King David were polygynous, they were blessed rather than condemned Milton In Nigeria and Philippines where Christianity has been adapted to local beliefs and traditions, polygamy is increasingly being accepted by Christians.
The argument that the Quran prohibits polygamy is incorrect. It is based on radical interpretation of the Quran rather than a clear understanding of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. The impartiality requirement was included in the teachings about polygamy to encourage men to avoid abandoning or mistreating some of their wives. If Prophet Mohammad was against polygamy, he could not have practiced it in the first place. Moreover, he could have provided explicit teachings rather than intuitions to discourage polygamy. Indeed, the impartiality requirement was meant to strengthen polygamy rather than to discourage it.
For example, in Saudi Arabia where Islam is the main religion marrying up to four wives in the norm among Imams and laymen. In the US and the UK, polygamy is discouraged because it is associated with low quality of life. Most western countries are highly urbanized. People have to depend on the income obtained from formal employment instead of farming to sustain their families. Thus, men are increasingly facing financial constraints, which in turn diminish the desirability of polygyny. As a result, children from polygamous families are expected to have low educational attainment and poor health status. In African countries such as Nigeria and Ghana, polygamy is associated with poverty. Most western non-governmental organizations that provide relief services in Africa argue that poverty can be reduced if the communities abandon polygamy.
This argument is based on the premise that monogamy reduces fertility rate, thereby causing a decline in population growth. As a result, households will be spending their income on investments instead of feeding large families Bennion This leads to reduction of poverty at the household level. Reduction in population growth will also enable governments in African countries to shift their resources from social safety net projects to development projects. The resulting increase in economic growth will improve the GDP per capita. The arguments that discourage polygamy based on economic considerations fail to take into account the realities of most African and Asian countries.
Countries such as Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are characterized by agrarian and pastoralist communities that depend on subsistence farming. Free and reliable labour is central to the success of subsistence farming. Thus, local communities have to marry several women who bear a lot of children to work in the farmlands or to take care of livestock Bennion This shows that polygamy is a source of wealth rather than a cause of poverty. Criminalizing polygamy does not result into a low population growth rate. For instance, the population of China has not declined despite the fact that the country prohibited polygamy over forty years ago. In most African countries, monogamous families continue to have as many as twelve children.
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